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Historical genesis of the hunting vocabulary of the tungus-manchu peoples // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023. Issue 2 (40). P. 37-48

The article deals with the archaic lexical stratum of the Tungus-Manchu peoples connected with hunting. It reveals the vocabulary of the ancient Tungus language formed during the culture formation of the Neolithic hunters. The theoretical basis of the research is the studies of Tungus specialists who have studied the language of the Tungus-Manchu peoples. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the results of studies of related scientific disciplines to solve the linguistic problem, including folklore, ethnography, history, and archeology studies. In accordance with the chosen methodology, the lexical stratum under study is viewed through the prism of ethnic worldview and folkloric traditions. The research material includes published dictionaries, collections on the folklore of the Tungus-Manchu peoples and field material of the author. The results of the analysis of the archaic lexical stratum connected with hunting, folkloric actions and motifs, basic worldviews, and social traditions of the Tungus-Manchu peoples show their origin in the mountain taiga landscape with the beginning of the Holocene during the development of the nomadic culture of hunters. As a result of the research, the author concludes that the archaic hunting traditions have their origin in the era of the ancient Tungus community. The main archaic cultural traditions of the Tungus Manchu peoples are reflected in the names of tools, the main objects of hunting and basic concepts connected with hunting. The ancient Tungus lexical stratum includes the following words: hurka – “noose, snare,” bər – “bow [of a simple type],” n`ur – “arrow,” kiŋnə – “wooden skis,” huksi – “skin skis,” omor – “birch-bark boat,” niki – “duck,” toki – “moose,” uǯa – “footprint,” bu(l)ta, bota – “hunting,” bujun – “hoofed animal.” In the worldview traditions of the Tungus, hunting as a concept is historically visualized in the meanings of “prey,” “gift,” and “giving”.

Keywords: Evenki language, hunting vocabulary, Evenki folklore, hunting, the ethnogenesis of Tungus-Manchu peoples, Neolithic of the Baikal region